The polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, once regarded as trivial metabolic by-products, have more recently been implicated as important role players in macromolecular synthesis by growing cells. Because increased amounts of polyamines in body fluids may be associated with certain types of pathology (e.g. neoplasia, psoriasis), they have also been regarded as potential markers of disease. The polyamine content of crevicular fluid has not previously been examined-to determine whether a similar relationship exists with periodontal disease. Little is known of how the crevicular environment may be influenced by these compounds, but it is conceivable that they may affect subgingival plaque formation, since some polyamines (e.g. putrescine, spermidine) are capable of enhancing bacterial growth, while other polyamine metabolites (notably oxidation products) may retard it. The objective of the proposed study is the development of a sensitive, noninvasive method for measurement of certain polyamines in gingival crevicular fluid. By means of filter paper strips, the crevicular fluid of patients with moderate-to-severe periodontitis will be collected for assay of polyamine content. The eluted sample will be analyzed by a sensitive reversed-phase HPLC technique to determine the content of putrescine and spermidine (polyamines of bacterial and host origin), spermine (host origin), and cadaverine (a diamine of bacterial origin). Development of such a technique would permit the correlative study of crevicular fluid polyamines and periodontal disease, and possibly provide a useful tool for periodontal diagnosis. It would also permit the study of a potentially important aspect of the crevicular environment: the influence of polyamines on the formation and growth of subgingival bacterial plaque.